2 troopers seriously injured in early morning crash

One state trooper was seriously injured and a second has been released from the hospital after their Ford Crown Victoria police car left the roadway and struck an evergreen tree along Route 796 in Penn Township early Friday morning, Feb. 8, 2013. The vehicle was towed back to the Avondale barracks on Route 41 (as pictured) so that investigators can continue to piece together the cause of the crash. The troopers were responding to a burglary-in-progress call, which ended up being unfounded, at the time of the crash. Both troopers were taken to Christiana Hospital for treatment of their injuries. The driver remains hospitalized, the passenger was released and is recovering at home. Staff Photos by Tom Kelly IV

PENN — Two state troopers were seriously injured Friday morning when their vehicle struck a tree as the pair was rushing to respond to a burglary.

According to state police, two troopers were riding together in a marked patrol car around 5:30 a.m. on Route 796, south of Kelton Road, when the vehicle left the roadway through a curve and struck a tree.

A state police spokesman said Trooper Aaron Dykes was driving the vehicle, and Trooper Michael Hall was identified as his passenger.

Both troopers lost consciousness in the collision and their car quickly caught fire, fully engulfing the front of the vehicle. Other troopers who were responding to the burglary stopped to aid the endangered troopers, and they were eventually able to put out the fire with extinguishers and buckets of water from nearby homes.

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State police said the burglary report originated with an elderly woman who appeared confused. She may be suffering from some sort of dementia, police said.

Firefighters and other emergency responders were able to extricate the troopers, and they were both taken to Christiana Hospital in Delaware for treatment of serious but non-life threatening injuries, according to state police.

Officials said Hall was released from the hospital Friday, though Dykes remained hospitalized for treatment.